CHAPTER NINETEEN–LAST WARNING 

Jasmine remained impassive, willing her expression to become an unreadable and marmoreal as the Renaissance sculptors she se admired. “I think you know exactly what it means, Mi 

and forth over the visual condemnation playing in an unending loop. Finally, with a 

for a suspended beat, the older woman seemed to go her, lips parning as her pals eyes darted back and dark shuddering exhale, Larinda met Jasmine’s rigid stare and unleashed a hollow, chiding laugh. 

“wall, well, I see the extermed arguity protocols were through their gilded hallen.” 

quite thy of the greatest section after all, hmm? Lening any old riffill with a penchant for spectacle p 

She glanced away dismissively, reaching her wine flate and swirling the rich liquidas though Jasmine 

troying grut to be brushed away 

“What am I meant to gather from this, dear girl? That you plan to run crying to the ‘authorities‘ with whoever petty circumstantial evidence somehow scraped from the night of your 

Another cruel checks followed, pating against Jasmine’s like shards of glass “ease, da un both the indignity. 

Lucinda’s casual diminual and attempt to regals the upper hand through rondacion only further stoked Jasmine’s mounting fury, She refused to be condor free from her reprehensible actions. 

withis viper so slither 

“Save us the indiguy?”“” Jasmine echoed, decision lacingher tone. “Saya the ‘archi‘ aboviolated the sacred space of a renowned gallery and defiled another’s work through an act of 

The words bung herry between them, challenging Lucinda no rebut the explicit accusation. For an endless stretch, the older woman’s expression remained from, teetering on the precipice 

Then, finally, something within her seemed to splinter ever slightly as she tied her chin up in a fractional motion of concit 

“How typical that the Eleasarpet plays the self–important vinin sind,” shearwned, derision dripping from her culcedinections 

“Did you truly expect to waltz unto the global stage and beveled at by your experions without any push–back, machen? Naiset has always been the most unbecoming among 

Jasmine held hangars steadily, refusing to take the bit of Linda’s consents as the other weman ploed indively 

*1 have dedicated my entire life, sacrificed beyond what imping tools you could possibly comprehend, etc the immortal paragons of this sphere. To think some wide–eyed little girl playing at expecting her meager emotional tul could be elevated stand alongside that grandes_well it was simply unacceptable.” 

Lucinda’s pale eyes glinted with an oily protectiveness as she led her wine again, letting the sinister undertones of her soliloquy murhub. 

“You understand, don’t you? I was merely pruning away the inexperienced deadweight before it could angle the entire corte. Anecessity for the shared preservation of true, consecrated brilliance.” 

“You are a complete and utter sociopath,” Lumine bit out, struggling to men mantain her anger through her veerwhelming dogust. “Nothing more than a deeply cheatened, deeply Insecure gatekeeper despensely clinging uses of grandeur at all costs.” 

She leaned as the table then, holding up her phone 

Lunda got an unbred view of 

inciminating footage once more. 

“This isn’t just some vague implication, Lucinda. This is hard endence of your depravity, your willingness to go to absolutely deranged lengths to try and stuff out any potential threats to your saddest of dominans. Is all right here, plainan day.” 

To her immense gratification, Lucinda’s expression hinally altered, a hire of ill–concealed panic thing her soulpted hours before the rallied with a shake of her head. “Yes, well even if that ummbar breach could bow be proven as one dan aham 

the sniffed airly, grasping at the final tattered theads of compose. “I’m my legal team could dismant whatever insipid cumstances you hope to throw at me, you insignificant Linde math–bender.” 

Jasmine allowed the words to all of her like so much caustic vapor as she took a mestored step backtion the table, firing Lucinda with a look of profoundly cold 

*Save it,” the stoned with frigid clanty. “I didn’t come here touselessly spar with you ower legitimacies or engage in some maddening spiral of legal chess across courtroom.” She stood a little taller then, shoulderramouring resolutely as the pested 

We are both women who have staked our entire beings upon our cat represents it comet jo unawword. Not berwarn us! 

compot Lucinds and herself. 

creative pron, our worth 

in and introllations And this this criminal dose of everything 

This time, it was jamba’snimka kanacross the table, her gate twin wilder bling with hard fought corection. 

ever crna paths again in a protonal context, 

› here is MY math, Lucinda- back off and retreat to whovory tower you belier yourself pretending dominion of a p Teach me a whisper al you attempting to sabotage me, my menors, or anyone show in our sphere 

Her mest inhalation was as the fooed the other woman with a look of dogged, uncompromising resolution 

“That evidence, those visuals of your intrusion and destruction, they go public. No more legalias, no mare 

same subterfuge or playing to your devious privileges. Just a full putting exposure for ther you’ve shown yourself tob 

Lucid opened her mouth, a petulant retort clearly blossoming behind her eyes, but Jasmine abruptly held up a hand, haking | 

No more words. Jur know that the path forward for both of has been inarguably illuminated.” 

She turned on her heel then, ach step towards the exit ringing with the 

cations of having faced down demons and emerged the victor Behind benda tin 

tin huming 

imposent lace, realizing her own hubris may have finally brought her own undoing. 

The abermath of Jasmina’s tenne confrontation with Lacinals should have brought a sere of core, an instead, it ushered in a new wave of challenges. Lucinda, desperate ca ce face and maintainer perception of demanes, began spreading vicious rumors troughout the artwork. 

Whispers chelated that pirine’s celebrated works were little more than blatant plagiarism of Lucindar’s groundbreaking techniques and subject mater 

The younger artist, those hushed voices insisted, had merely piggybacked off the established master’s innovatives and tepackaged them as her on in a shameless for unearned acclaim Arflist, Jasmine inled to shall thermos asesoraptramblings of a bit, thenatened rival lashing est. But as the murmars grew louder and began reaching some of her prodal contacts, the couldn’t help but feel a winge of doube crep 

Had the indentely di implation a little liberally from Linda’s ever? Wer her creative methods and thematic approaches uncomfortably derivative of the other weran’s 

Jaunie kremler work sprang from an authentic place of personal truth, but suddenly she began second–guessing herself, 

Sensing her rising thrpret, Claire, Beth, and mother doubled down their religie’s in confides. They inded of just her unique creative wake, but her fundamentad decency and integrity. 

“You’re the furthest thing from a charlatan, us, clalie stared emphatically one after they prepped Janina’sudo für the exhibition installation blierchi nota camr 

une with a soul can recognize that brick.” 

CHAPTER NINETEEN LAST WARNING 

Still, the whispers persisted right up until the day before Jasmine’s solo debut at the Bergström. As she arrived to oversee the final installation after the pre–show gala, a sinking feeling of dread gripped her upon entering the centrall gallery. 

There, amidst her carefully curated pieces, she could see the unmistakable signs of tampering and defacement, Streaks of paint marring one cans, another work with its frame suspiciously askew as if jostled or even dropped. Jasmine’s breath caught in her throat as she hurried to inspect each piece, a creeping horror settling into the pit of her stomach. This couldn’t be not again, not after everything she’d endured and overcomel 

“What is the meaning of this?” She wheeled on the nearest staff member, barely containing her anguish. “Who could have violated these sacred spaces and dared to sabotage my life’s work like this?” 

The flustered museum worker held up placating hands “Please, Miss Delacroix, I assure you we are investigati contractors have been suspended pending a thorough review.” 

tatter with the utmost urgency and diligencel all evening staff and 

It was little consolation as Jasmine gingarly tended to the damaged pieces, her mind scrambling as a numbness encroached upon her senses. 

How… how was the meant to present such a profoundly personal and meaningful body of work besmirched by these acts of sheer maliciousness? 

Claire and Beth arrived shortly after, twin expressions of dismay clouding their faces as they absorbed the desecration before them. 

“That that absolute monster!” Claire bit out through gritted teeth, lists clenching at her sides. “She just couldn’t lot well enough alone, could she? Had to lash out one final time like a petty. unrepentant sociopath” 

For several suspended moments, a palpable shroud of shock and defeat hung over the three momen. But then, almost imperceptibly, something within Jasmine seemed to harden and resettle with grim determination 

|_ CIMITER TWENTY + HEFURUSHIMENT